


Killing Hope

by NightwingNinja17



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-21
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-03-10 07:48:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27659747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NightwingNinja17/pseuds/NightwingNinja17
Summary: Killian Jones sacrificed himself to save the woman he loves and now he’s in the Underworld. But unfortunately for him, the Lord of the Underworld has taken a particular interest in this one handed pirate. Now Hook has to fight for his life. Come join the Captain as he seeks a way out of the clutches of Hades and what Hades will do to snuff out the hope within him.
Relationships: Killian Jones & Hades
Comments: 3
Kudos: 4





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello Everyone! Thought I would come back with an interesting idea. I just recently finished watching the One Upon a Time tv show and my favorite story line by far is season 5. Especially the Underworld bits. 
> 
> In the story, it is mentioned that Hades, the Lord of the Underworld has enacted some creative beatings to try and drive hope out of Hook.  
> My idea is based around what those creative beatings are and how this affects the pirate personally. 
> 
> So without further ado, please Enjoy this story!

**Prologue: The Sacrifice**

_The thoughts that entered my mind, when my mind became clear again, was like that of the man I wanted to be. It was that of a man who loved someone so deeply, that he would literally lay down his life for her. And as I gazed into her eyes as the darkness behind me was choking her, I knew in that moment that I needed to save her._

_“No! You are not taking away the people that I love!” Those words echoed through my head as she walked forward and I stared at her. Then the sound of her strangled sobs met my ears._

_“I might not be able to kill you, but I can stop you from interfering!” Nimue stood behind me like a cat about to pounce on his prey. I could tell from our shared connection to the darkness that she was enjoying this. Nimue was enjoying inflicting pain upon the only person who could really stop this whole thing from happening._

_I could do nothing but stare and watch with a foggy mind as the scene unfolded in front of me. My mind was too foggy. Foggy enough from the darkness coursing through me that I wasn’t myself anymore. The real me wouldn’t have stood for this or allowed Emma to be choked in the manner in which she was currently being choked._

_And thus this started the internal battle for control._

_Light and dark. Which one would win here?_

_After a few brief moments, I knew what I had to do. I knew what needed to transpire in order for everyone to be safe._

_“That’s enough!” I turned to face Nimue after a few moments of staring at Emma’s blue eyes._

_“What do you think you’re doing?” She turned her attention to me which was what I wanted her to do._

_“Being the man I want to be.” It seemed like in those few moments of staring into Emma’s fear, that it had broken through and myself had returned for a few brief moments. It was long enough for me to stand firm and to allow myself the chance to think for myself. Not as the dark one, or as the Captain who had long sought revenge, but as Killian. The man whom was loved by others and who loved everyone standing behind me at this very moment._

_“You can’t stop us!” Nimue dropped her hand holding Emma to look me square in the eyes. I then briefly looked down at Excalibur in my hand before making up my mind on what needed to happen to rid this world of the darkness the Dark Ones had brought._

_“Yes, I can.” The determination ripped through my voice and so did the courage that I had tried to gather in that moment. I raised Excalibur in the air and closed my eyes as I willed the souls of the Dark Ones standing in front of me to enter. I felt the wind pick up and the tendrils of the darkness closed in around me as it entered the blade. The darkness which would no longer hold any power over the loved ones standing behind me. They wouldn’t be sent to the Underworld. Not if I had anything to say about it._

_Once the darkness was trapped within the blade, I felt its power calling out to me to release it. I felt everyone of the Dark Ones, Nimue included, trying to claw their way out of the blade’s trap. It caused my arm to begin to shake. I fought back the call, fought back the power with grunts and a pain that I had never experienced before._

_But in that same moment, I found myself again._

_I knew what I had to do to free both myself and Emma of the darkness for good. If that meant that I sacrifice myself for them and for her, I would do that. It was what needed to happen despite my protests._

_“Killian, you can’t do this!” Emma’s anguished voice met my ears. I turned to face her while simultaneously trying to keep the power from rushing back out and causing harm._

_“We both know there’s no other way, love. We have to hurry!” I finally met her gaze and almost broke at the sight of Emma’s tears running down her face. She wasn’t the Dark One at this moment. She was the woman who loved me and I loved back, “The darkness won’t stay trapped in Excalibur for much longer. Take it!”_

_I held out my shaking hand and held out Excalibur for her to see. Her cries grew more desperate as she tried to shy away from what we both knew needed to happen._

_“You have to help me Swan!” I looked her in the eyes as she backed away from the blade a bit, “Take it!”_

_“I can’t! It should be me!”_

_“Your family needs you. If anyone deserves to go to the Underworld, its me!” I could feel the shaking in my arm grow stronger as the darkness grew stronger within it, “You were right. I was weak. So let me make up for it now by being strong!”_

_Her tears nearly broke me. I was doing this for her, but it still hurt that after this moment, I would no longer be able to hold her close, to call her my own._

_“I don’t want to lose you,” She was crying hard to where her voice sounded choked and those words came out soft. I recalled her telling me that she was scared to get close to me for fear of losing me and now she was losing me._

_“And I won’t lose you.” We locked eyes and the emotions that were now on my face mirrored hers, “But you have to let me go. Let me die a hero. That’s the man I want you to remember. Please!”_

_She shook her head no, but then slowly walked toward me hands raised. When she was close enough, Emma wrapped both of her hands around my shaking one and gradually took the sword from my hands. She then stared at the sword for a few brief seconds then returned her gaze to mine. Emma then closed the distance and kissed me._

_“I love you.” And we passionately kissed for what would be the last time. We stood like that for a while before we released each other and I had the chance to talk._

_“I love you too.” I then nodded my head in affirmation, or reassurance I didn’t know which one, that this was what needed to happen. She would have to kill me in order to free the world from the darkness._

_Emma backed away, the shaking which was once within me, was now tethered to her. She tried to hold it back like I had just done. She was brave and thus I felt I needed to out on a brave face for her._

_I felt my breaths come out in waves as the anticipation of the blade meeting my flesh over came me. I held out my hand and hook to either side of me, to help her hit her target better as well as to make sure that I didn’t stop this. I watched her tear streaked face and we never let our gazes falter from one another._

_She nodded he head back._

_“It’s okay. It’s okay!” I whispered to her hoping that by hearing it she would no longer hesitate._

_I looked down at the blade and then back into her eyes and then nodded once again. She hesitated for only a few more moments before she stepped forward and drove the blade into my chest. I let out a loud cry as the pain suddenly hit my brain. I then felt immediately weak as did my breaths. Whether she saw it or not, I felt her press the rest of the blade through my body and the blood begin to fall down my stomach._

_I could hear her sobs as my body grew weaker. I could feel the blade moving in around me like it was a part of me and in a way it was._

_I then held my hand up to her face as my breaths came out labored. I held her face and just let her sit there in our last few moments together. I watched through half closed eyes as the darkness now fled from Emma and she was herself again. The red jacket which I had come to love her wearing was the final thing I saw._

_The pain of the blade going out was almost worse than it going in. I felt the waves of the blade exit my body and tear into everything. All I could do was to stand there frozen in place as the blade disintegrated and the blood within me pour freely and unchecked. I then let out a groan as the first wound that I was given from Excalibur returned on my neck. I soon felt the life within me slowly die out and I slowly collapsed. And the last thing I remembered before I gave my last breath was Emma, my sweet Emma, guiding me toward the ground in tears._

* * *

When I woke next, I found myself laying in a field of tombstones. It took me a second to register what was around me, but I was instantly up and standing when I saw them. I tried to get my bearings. This place was familiar. But I couldn’t place why.

I then turned around and found the tombstone I had just been laying against and gasped when I realized that it was mine. It had my name carved into the stone like it was a part of me. I scrambled backwards and tried to distance myself from it, but couldn’t. My gaze was transfixed on it as if it had some sort of spell on me.

I decided it was time for me to find out what was really going on.

Wandering seemed like a good option for me as I found my way into a town that looked eerily like Storybrooke. Except this town was half run down and parts of it destroyed. Why was it like that?

I located Granny’s and then decided that now was as good of a time as any to see if I could find anything else that was familiar. I walked over to where I knew The Charmings’ home was located and walked into the building. Surprisingly the doors were locked and this it offered me a much easier time getting in.

The place wasn’t much, but I had found it as a home base for me. This was where I picked Emma up for our first date, this is where her family lived and now it was time for me to temporarily live here too.

I wandered into the living room and then moved to face the up stairs bedroom. It took me a few seconds before I too trudged up there. It was as if my mind was telling me that everyone would be upstairs but in reality, they weren’t even here.

I then laid eyes on a picture frame turned to face away from the prying eyes of those coming up into the living space. I sauntered over to the image and turned it around. But what I found there caused many emotions to well up inside me.

For it was a picture of myself and Emma kissing.

I didn’t know who had taken this picture nor did I really care. In that moment, my brain had caught up to reality that I was no longer alive and that all those who cared about me were no longer around. Tears began to flow freely down my face. I now felt almost ashamed for what I had just done and for what I had just put her through.

I sat down on the edge of the bed and just caressed the picture frame with my fingers. I then gazed about the room, taking in the details of this run down version and tried to imagine Emma standing at the top of the steps smiling over at me. I imagined her hugging me tightly and kissing my face so much that I couldn’t get in a word edgewise. I envisioned her arms wrapping as tightly around me as they could and keeping me close.

But then I imagined the blade piercing my flesh as if it was nothing more than a hot knife to butter. I just felt the despair of never being able to see her again or hear her voice.

I just did my best to commit to memory the thoughts of her last kiss and her last words as she did that.

Leaning back against the head rest, I just held the picture close to my chest as the tears returned to me. I wasn’t worthy of anything anymore nor did I deserve her love. All I cared about was living for her memory. And that gave me hope that even if I would never see her again, I would be able to live and move on in her memory.

And with those thoughts, I slowly drifted off to sleep. The last thing I remember before succumbing to the slumber was smiling as an image of Emma flashed into my mind. I was going to live for her even if I would never see her again. I was going to live in light of the changed man she had made me and how much she cared for me.

With that, I drifted off into darkness. Not knowing that the darkness would soon find itself back into my life in a way that I never expected.


	2. Chapter 1: Found Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Killian wakes to find intruders in his new home. What will he do and will these intruders catch him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for the comments! I really appreciate the feedback. If you can share the story, I would love it! I want my audience for this story to expand.  
> Also if you have any ideas on how you would like to have Killian tortured, I'm all ears too.

**Chapter 1: Found Out**

I was startled when I heard a noise that sounded like glass breaking. I immediately stood up and sat still. My carefully trained ears honed in on what was going on down beneath me, listening for any sounds that suggested movements of any kind.  
I settled back down when I didn’t hear anything again.  
And then my heart began to race when I began to hear someone whisper. What did they want? I wasn’t about to let them know I was there, but why were they there?  
“We need to find him, or else the boss won’t be happy.” I listened and slowly crept over and laid down by the railing that overlooked the living room.  
“What if he’s not here? This was the last place Hades thought he might be. We will be forced to return empty handed.” The second person seemed concerned. Both were dressed in black suits and looked rather menacing.  
I slowly scooted back on the floor as to not alert them by me standing up.  
“Let me go check upstairs.” I froze. I didn’t want these men to find me. However, they would find me if I didn’t hide.  
As quickly and as quietly as I could, I crawled over to the side of the bed that wasn’t on the steps and lowered myself to the floor. Slowing my erratic breathing down was rough. I eventually managed though just in time for one of the men from below to arrive at the top of the stairs.  
I listened to his methodical footsteps. It was as if he knew I was up here and was taunting me with that fact. I tried not to do anything that would alert this man to my location, however, it seemed he had other ideas.  
“Looks like he was here.” I heard him ruffle things on top of the bed and then rather harshly set down what I assumed was the picture in the picture frame I had fallen asleep with, “He can’t be far.”  
He then resumed his methodical walking about. I heard him draw closer to my hiding spot and all I could do was shut my eyes in fear. But he never came to my side of the bed. He just walked away and back down the stairs without another word.  
Once I felt I was clear, I poked my head out to check. I then heard the sound of the front door opening and closing. I finally took a shaky breath and then slowly emerged from my hiding spot. I looked around and tried to check and make sure that neither of the men I just saw below my feet were there before I stood and slowly walked down toward the top of the stairs. The coast was clear as far as I could tell, so now it was time for me to get out of here.  
But first, I decided to take the picture I had been staring at for the past few hours out of its frame and keep it. I gently removed the back of the frame as best as I could with one hand, removed it and stuck it in an inner pocket of my jacket.  
It was now time for me to escape this place. If either of those men were watching, I wanted to make sure they weren’t aware that I left.  
I steadily walked down the first few steps pausing every so often to listen for movement. When that didn’t come, I took another few steps before I found myself at the bottom of the stairs once more. I smirked to myself. Those men were amateurs. That fact I could take advantage of.  
However, what I didn’t count on was that this was a trap. The other man was on the other side of the door when I opened it. I reeled back and tried to distance myself from this man in black. I was met with an immovable force behind me for I had backed into the other guy.  
“Lord Hades has been looking for you my friend.” The man behind me put his hands firmly on my shoulders, giving them a little squeeze as he did so. I tried to squirm away from it, but it’s only increased the pressure in which he was applying.  
“And why is that?” I looked to the man who had come through the door. He was smirking at me, taunting me like he was expecting me to make the first move in a fight. I wanted nothing to do with these two, “Let me go!”  
The individual behind me released me. I straightened my jacket and then looked between them.  
“That is for our Lord to know and for you to find out.”  
I glanced up at the door for a second and found it to still be open. I thought about escaping through it for a brief few seconds before I made up my mind.  
I lashed out and truck the man in front of the door in the face with my hook. I managed to hit his cheek and cut it which caused the person to duck. This opened the way for me to run through the door. Though i didn’t get far.  
The other person in the room shoved me and sent me flying down the stairs to the floor below. The fall hurt worse than the landing as I tumbled to the ground. Once I had settled, perfectly stunned to the ground, the man leapt on top of me and pinned me to the ground first. He then started to punch me a few times in the face. I felt every blow, my face not growing numb. It further accentuated the effects of the fall from the top of the stairs.  
“We got you now!” The man sneered and the smiled evilly at me. I, of course, couldn’t see straight. My response came out in the form of a groan.  
“Lord Hades will be quite pleased that we found you.” The second man smirked too as he drew nearer to my face. I then tried to fight, but the punches to my face caused me to be weak and therefore I couldn’t quite push this man off of me.  
“I wouldn’t struggle if I were you.” The man hovering over me held my head tight to keep me from moving it. The other person in the room knelt down and jabbed something into my neck. I cringed when the needle poked through the skin with such practiced ease. However after a bit they both let me go and I struggled to my feet. My head was swimming, my face hurt as well as my body. I decided then and there I needed to get away from these guys.  
I stumbled out the door and started to walk away, but the two men followed me out there. I couldn’t dwell on that long for the world suddenly went black for a few seconds. I fell forward and leaned up against the wall that was nearby taking in greedy breaths.  
“You won’t be able stay awake for much longer, Captain!”  
The man who had been on top of me gloated. I looked to him and then pushed myself up off the wall and defiantly walked forward. However, whatever they injected me with caused my legs to suddenly feel shaky and I nearly fell on the ground in front of me. When I did fall, the men came forward and suddenly put a bag over my face and pulled me to my feet. I feebly struggled, for it was all I could do. One timely punch to the gut settled that once and for all and it was all that my body could take.  
My legs gave way and now I was being taken away to this Lord Hades.  
I couldn’t recall what happened after that as the drugs or whatever they had injected into me finally took hold. I was no longer able to see and soon I fell into the clutches of unconsciousness once again.

_______________________________________________________

“ _Is he waking up.”  
“I don’t know. Let me check.”  
“We can’t turn him over to Lord Hades until he awakens so even if we...”  
“Oh! Quiet down!_  
I started to fidget a little bit as I came to. It was strange to hear the voices without seeing them. It was also peculiar that they were whispering.  
As my hearing returned, I could make out that they weren’t whispering. It was because of the rumble of an elevator that I couldn’t hear.  
“Hey wake up!” I was kicked in the back and I let out a groan. I shouldn’t have and just let them believe that I was still asleep, but nothing held back the cry of anguish and pain that escaped me.  
“He’s only just awaken.” The other voice called out. I still couldn’t see. The bag over my head muted any images or anything to indicate where I was. Not that I would have known anyway, but it was still rather difficult not to see, “And you’re just in time too.”  
“We’re here.”  
I felt myself being hoisted to my feet and it was at that moment that I quickly realized my hook was no longer on my arm, and my hand and arm were tied up together. Probably to keep me from fighting. I at least could walk which was a relief. I didn’t want the humiliation of walking in to face this deity without standing on my own two feet.   
We walked for what seemed like a while before we finally made it to whatever destination that they had brought me to. I wished I could look around, see what was around me, but they still didn’t take the bag off my face.  
“Lord Hades, we have what you asked for,” I shuddered when they said what. I wasn’t an object nor a prize to be won, but they treated me like that which infuriated me.  
“Excellent!” I jumped when the voice sounded close and in my ear, “What say you Captain? Care to join us?”  
“Not if you are going to treat your guest as badly as I have been.” My voice sounded slurred to me, but I spoke anyway. It was muffled by the sack that was over my head as well.  
I was forced onto my knees by the very hands that brought me into this mess in the first place. My knees met cold stone and even though I wore jeans, it still caused me to shiver at the frost that seemed to make its way inside. I groaned as every muscle within me that had been battered by the fall and subsequently by being punched in the face came screaming with pain.  
The bag was then suddenly removed and in front of me stood the Lord of the Underworld. I felt my breath catch and I fell backwards in shock. I had finally processed where I was.  
The room was a large cavern with several multi colored rivers ending in a round stone dais that sat in the center. All around me stood objects, like a grandfather clock on one end, a chair which I assumed was his throne on the other side, and various other trinkets, tables and that surrounded us.  
“I take it you’re a bit surprised to see me, Captain. Though I’m not surprised by your surprise.”  
“Surprise doesn’t even begin to cover it. Maybe anger is the right emotion considering the rough treatment I just endured.” I felt the anger rise in my voice. The mere presence of Hades in front of me sent the response to fight this.  
“Answer me this, what brought you down here in the first place?” Hades had backed away and had begun to pace around me as if I was prey.  
“I sacrificed myself to save my friends.” I didn’t say anything more for the memory of what had transpired on the surface sprang to my mind. But then I remembered why I had done it. Emma was now free of the darkness that had trapped us both. I too was free from it in a way.  
“And why did you do that?” Hades stopped to lean against a smaller chain than the one I had assumed was his throne and smirked at me.  
“I hoped that it would rid Em...” I wasn’t able to finish my sentence for Hades speedily drew close to my face.  
“You hoped?”  
“Yes I had hoped that my sacrifice would rid Emma of the darkness that laid within her.”  
“I assume that it worked?” Hades was taunting me now.  
“Of course it worked! Why do you think I’m down here? To play some pretty game where she heals me to bring me back?” I don’t know where the anger suddenly came from, but it seemed more like an interrogation than an inquisition. One that I was not really willing to participate in.  
“And now you hope that she has a better life free from the darkness, am I correct.”  
“I know she will have a better life free from the darkness. I don’t just hope. She will be with her family. They need her as much as she needs them.”  
“Well then Captain, I must say that I have some work to do.” Hades squatted down to where he could meet my gaze evenly.  
“Work to do? I don’t understand.”  
“You see, hope is not a word I hear often around here and you know why?”  
“I couldn’t even begin to guess.”  
“Because it’s a forbidden word. One that I do not allow to flourish in my land.” Hades grabbed my chin and smirked again, “For when they do hope, they move on and I have lived far too long and have made far to much progress in this place to want that to end.”  
“You fear that I will move on?” I was surprised to hear this.  
“No,” Hades snarled a cruel smirk on his face as he stared into my soul. “I could care less about your miserable soul. It’s the others I worry about. If that little word spreads through my kingdom then it will crumble! Everything I’ve done for thousands of years will crumble and if that happens then you will live to regret the day that you came down here.”  
“And how can you stop me?” I put on a brave face, one that I hadn’t put on since I told Emma to stab me, “Word apparently travels fast around here otherwise, how did you know that I was here in the first place?”  
Hades was obviously getting angry at me for my snarky remark which both terrified and invigorated me. I watched as he stood and then slowly took a deep breath before saying another word.   
“And that’s why I can’t have you wandering around spreading that hope.” He turned to me with the fury in his eyes that reminded me so much of Rumplestiltskin after he became The Dark One, “I will make sure that before I unleash you into my world that you will be free from this thought that way you will not be able to destroy anything.”   
“How will you do that?”  
“By torturing it out of you.” He then gestured for the two men who brought me in to lift me to my feet, “Bring him to the dungeons. Put the collar on him and make sure he stays awake. I want to see what sleep deprivation will do to you, Captain.”  
Before I could say another word, Hades magically gagged me and placed the bag over my face.  
“Oh! And one more thing. If you value your life, I suggest that you lose that hope fast. Otherwise if you don’t then I will make sure you beg me to send you down there. Do you understand?”  
I was shuffled out of the room before given a chance to reply.  
This was going to be a living nightmare I could tell. However I was determined now more than ever to make sure this lunatic didn’t win.  
I was going to keep hoping even if it was going to be the death of me.


	3. Chapter 2: The Offer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Killian has an intimate conversation with Hades. How will this go?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! The inspiration for this chapter came from an ASMR video by Miss Rivers Audio called Possible Happy Ending, Mistake the offer (ASMR Hostage Situation). I really enjoy this audio and decided to incorporate it into the torture for this chapter. Hope you enjoy and go check out Miss Rivers Audio because her stuff is really cool.  
> And if you know of any cool ASMR roleplay videos that touch on torture of any kind, let me know. I really want to incorporate your ideas into this story.

**Chapter 2: The Offer**

It was the next day, or what I assumed was the next day before I heard anything from my captor. I hadn’t been able to sleep. My mind was too muddled with thoughts of what happened to Emma, what happened to the Dark Ones that died in my wake.   
Further more, my arms were pulled out to either side of me a chained to the walls, causing my shoulders to ache and my back to hurt. I had also been kneeling at first, but then resorted to sitting on my legs this whole time. They had grown numb and every movement felt like I had been sitting on a bet of nails this whole time. I tried to move my arms to relieve some of the stress and the tension I was feeling there, but nothing was working. The chains were too tight.  
It was also cold. Even with my jacket it was cold. Shivering caused the chains to rattle which was starting to annoy me more than anything. It was like any warmth that had once been in the room had been sucked out just for me. Which did little to make the fear that was creeping in from reappearing. If I had to guess it was intentional. A way for me to seek a way out if given that.  
I heard the door to the cell open behind me and multiple sets of footsteps come in. I opened my sleepy eyes to find two burly men walk in looking smug. They then watched me with great pleasure that I flinched when one of them drew near. I of course couldn’t move away due to the position in which I had been chained. Which delighted them to no end.  
“Looks like the great big Captain Hook is afraid of us!”  
It was the men from earlier who had captured me in the imitation of the Charmings’ home. I didn’t say a word and just glowered at the two of them. This seemed to irritate them and provoked one of them into punching me in the gut. If there would have been any slack in the chain, I might have fallen over do to the sheer amount of air flowing out of me faster than I was taking it in.  
Punch after punch flew as I desperately tried my best to fend them off. I vaguely remember hearing the sound of the cell door opening before a new voice seemed to enter my thoughts.  
“Boys! Boys! That’s enough! Where are your manners?” Hades then came into view smirking slightly at me, but then I must have looked pitiful in the state I was in, “My apologies. My men can get bit too carried away sometimes.”  
I then turned my glower to Hades. He didn’t seem to care. He just made sure that I was watching what he was doing.  
“I hope that wasn’t too inconvenient for you.”  
“What do you think?” I thought that more to myself though I desperately wanted to say that out loud. I chose not to respond in hopes that this would not give him the satisfaction of an answer. I spat some blood out on the floor in front of his feet. In my times as a sailor I had learned that spitting in the manner in which I just had was a sign of hatred and contempt for the person standing in front of you.  
Hades returned my gaze with a chuckle.  
“You are a quiet one today aren’t you?” He paused for a few seconds as if waiting for me, ready to pounce on my every word, “That’s okay. I understand. You have to act all tough. It gives you the illusion of power. You might even imagine in that pretty little head of yours that your silence is making me frustrated.”  
His smirk grew bigger.  
“Or you might even imagine that I would make some irrational error because of that.” Hades stood and started to pace around the cell in front of me, “My friend, let me assure you, you are not the first person I’ve encountered whose acted this way.  
I looked up and tried not to look confident as I felt in handling this. And in response to my defiance, he paused his pacing to stare at me indignantly. He then almost immediately responded with a hearty chuckle. He just waited a little bit longer before saying anything more as if it was my turn to respond.  
“So, I guess it is silence then. Well, I guess I’ll just have to tell you how this is going to go. The way I see it, you have only have three options.”  
To my surprise, Hades sat down in front of me. He looked smug. Like what he was about to say was far more important than what it was that I could do for him.  
“Option number one, you give in. Give up this pointless game of trying to fish for hope where you can’t find it. After that, I will use you as an example for the others and then you will be free to go about the rest of your like here. Let’s call option number one, a possible happy ending. Will that work for you?”  
I still remained silent. I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of answering his question. Hades sighed. I could tell on his face that he was growing increasingly frustrated with me.  
“Option number two is that you can continue this little silent game of yours, which I personally find very tiring. If you choose this option not only are you going to die, your death will be slow and full of pain. And I promise you my friend. You do not want to go through with this option,” Hades scooted closer to me, firmly and yet somehow gently taking my chin in his hand, “Still, if you are foolish enough to pick this option, I guess I will need to give it a proper name. Care to help me out?”  
I continued the silent game and in a sort of retort I looked away from him.  
“It would be a mistake, boss,” I turned my head when I had totally forgotten that the other men were in the room with me.  
“Ooh! I think that has a perfect ring to it. I shall call it a mistake. You will regret your decision if you pick this one.” I ripped my face out of Hades’ hand which delighted him for some sick and twisted reason.  
“Option number three is simple. I can send you back to the overworld on one condition: you would work for me. Leave your pathetic life as a hero behind. Join me in embracing the darkness once again and kill people. It would delight me greatly to have more lost souls down here with me underneath my rule. You wouldn’t have to act in secret. The whole world up there would know our faces, learn our names. You would be feared, admired and wanted.”  
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing…This man had the audacity to tell me that I wasn’t wanted? I was wanted.  
My mind flashed back to my last moments on the surface. If I hadn’t been wanted, I highly doubted that Emma would have been crying over me as much as she had.  
“I don’t want to lose you.” Were here last words before the blade pierced my flesh.  
_I remembered her saddened breaths tickle my nose as she pierced my body with the sword. I remembered how she held me tight and didn’t let go until she had to pull the blade out. I remembered how her hands caressed me for one last time before I succumbed to my injuries and slowly fell to the ground. And if she hadn’t been there holding me, I might have fallen and hurt myself more._  
 _I remembered the last thing I heard were her sobs. Her desperate attempts at keeping me alive. I remember feeling the weight of her own body pressing into mine. And then it all went black. If I didn’t care for Emma, then I knew in my own heart that I wouldn’t have put myself in such a situation._  
“Hey! Look at me!” This earned me a hard slap in the face, “No drifting off. I will not allow you to lose your attention. This is far too important than your thoughts right now.”  
I just glared at him as best as I could despite my aching face.  
“Anyway, where was I? Ah, right! What I can offer you. I can offer you the pleasure you’ve never experienced before. A chance at your revenge. You will become so powerful.” His breathless whispers tickled my ears as Hades decided it was time to draw close to me. If my arms weren’t tied up at the moment, then I might have lashed out at him. But I couldn’t so all I did was stare ahead in silence. Letting him know I wasn’t backing down even if I didn’t say words to prove it, “This option is called an offer. It’s one that I hope you will consider very highly to do. So, what’s it going to be?”  
I spat at his feet once again filled with contempt for the man standing right in front of me. This earned me a hearty chuckle from Hades which ended in something akin to anger falling over his face.  
“Did you just spit at me? Are you really making me to show you what the pain is?” He held out his hands as if to say come at me, “Don’t you think I’m worthy of my reputation?”  
Those words sent a bit of fear coursing through my mind. Had I made the right decision in defying him? I know deep down in my heart that it was the right thing, but my mind...that was a whole different story.  
“Oh my friend? Is that fear I see in the corner of your eyes?” I watched as Hades drew near once more and pointed at my face. I tried hiding it and strengthened my fearless gaze I had shared with him more than once this entire experience, but I failed. He saw it anyway. “No, no, no! Don’t try to hide it! I already saw it anyway. Look at me!”  
I looked his way and just watched in anticipation of what was to come next.  
“You have heard of me. You have seen my work before haven’t you? You have seen what I am capable of. You know what I can do to those who defy me and yet you still resist. Why not give in? Why not let this hope fade away? Even if you were to get back to the surface, you won’t go on living the life you once had with the same people. Well...I won’t spoil where you go if you move on. That would give you more hope I’m afraid.”  
I growled slightly at the frustration I was experiencing at the moment. I wasn’t going to give up hoping just for him. If there was even a chance that I could get back to Emma, I would. However, it appeared that I would have to fight hard for that victory.  
Hades chuckled again and then returned to his seated position in front of me.  
“All right! I’ll humor you. After all, you are my guest for this evening. And what kind of host would I be if I denied my guest their noble request. So, what would it be then?”  
I turned my eyes and glanced over to the closets of the henchmen that had come in with Hades. The man seemed to be carrying something. I couldn’t quite make out what he was holding, but I had a feeling in my gut that it wasn’t going to be good. I inhaled a shay breath before closing my eyes in anticipation of what was to come.  
“So, what is it going to be? Do you prefer knifes? Or guns? Or maybe even a little rope...playing?” I accidentally let my emotions over come my expression which caused Hades to smile quite broadly. He then leaned down close to my left ear and began to speak.  
“Have you ever seen someone choking to death right before your eyes and just when they’re about to slip away, you release the grip? They come back gasping for air, like a fish who had been out of the water for too long. They are terrified and begging for mercy. At that moment, you are a god. You hold the power of human lives in your hands.” Hades then sat down to my left facing the opposite direction as I was facing. I just turned my head in slow defiance letting him know that I didn’t care what happened to me. I wasn’t going to let the hope within me die like he kept asking me to. “Come on! Don’t tell me the infamous Captain Jones hadn’t heard of that one before.”  
I just ignored him and decided to focus on something else for a change. I thought of Emma, the Charmings, Henry. Anything to get my mind off of Hades droning on about what he was going to do. Hades must have caught on because once I was paying attention again, I quickly realized that he was staring right at me and had been silent this whole time.  
I didn’t turn my head, but I turned my eyes to face him.  
“There you are!” He used one of his free hands to gently pat my injured face, “You were thinking about your friends weren’t you?”  
I looked at him letting the notion that I was thinking of them slide away from my expression. If he caught on that I was thinking about Emma, or about the fact that I had saved her, then there might be literal hell to pay. Apparently I wasn’t successful as Hades once again smirked at me.  
“I thought so.” Hades gestured for something that was out of my line of sight. It was my hook. He fingered it and looked at it as if it was made out of a precious material or something.  
“Can I admit to you something?” Hades looked at me past the curve of the bent, silver metal that made up the appendage that I had fashioned for myself, “I am not a merciful god. And because I’m not merciful, I am going to use you as first, an experiment, and then as an example. An example to all my subjects that hope will not be tolerated.”  
Hades gently hung my hook on my left arm right where the chain met my stump. It was at that moment where I wished that I had the comfort of the brace and my hook sitting at the base of my arm. It always made me feel vulnerable to have it so exposed to people. Emma was the only one I had ever let grow close enough to where having it exposed around her didn’t make me afraid. However, with Hades here, the fear came back ten fold. I couldn’t get away from him as I could other people. I couldn’t run for my arms were chained tightly to the stone walls around me. I couldn’t pull back the one part of me that was a constant reminder of my past.  
I realized that I had begun to hold my breath in anticipation of what was to come.  
“So, Captain, have you made up your mind?” Hades turned and saw my concern on my face. I met his gaze with my own and then turned it away once again. I immediately set my mind on the people above, who I had left behind. I imagined what their lives must be like now that I was gone. I imagined that Emma was saddened by it to the point of inactivity, but would one day learn to move on past me. Or at least I hoped she would. I would want her to move on and hopefully that individual would stick around longer than I had.  
My thoughts were rudely interrupted whenever rough hands began to strap something around my neck. In a desperate attempt at trying to figure out what it was that they were chaining to me now, I looked down and accidentally blocked their attempts at strapping the device to me. One of the men who had accompanied Hades yanked my head back by my hair, causing me to gasp rather loudly. They finished harnessing me with the newfangled necklace and then left the room, leaving me and Hades to finish our conversation alone.  
“Do you know what this is?” Hades pointed toward the collar. He then took a few seconds before he gave his reply, “It’s interesting isn’t it? It looks like a normal hoop, loop whatever you pirates call them. But it has a twist. Do you see these sharp pieces of metal all around the inside of the hoop?” Suddenly out of no where the chain holding my right hand unexpectedly went slack. Had my other arm not been also held up by a chain, I probably would have fallen over. I let out a startled yelp, which earned me a chuckle from Hades, “Go ahead! Give it a touch.”  
I never took my eyes off Hades as I gingerly touched the small pieces of metal protruding from the hoop. I felt every one of them, tried to make sure that I didn’t poke myself. But I did anyway. I hissed and so did Hades as he reacted to my own reaction.  
“Oh! They’re sharp aren’t they?” He grabbed my hand away from the hoop and didn’t let go, almost as if he expected me to fight back. Hades rolled my hand to where my palm was facing upward and fingered the new wound. Every time his skin met mine, it stung, “Now! Let’s get to the fun part. If you don’t stay still, then...”  
Hades forced the hoop close to my neck. I gasped once more when the sharp points penetrated the flesh on my neck. If I was being honest to myself, it was one of those rare moments where I wished I didn’t have to be strong, for I longed to let out a groan. But I wasn’t going to. At least not with Hades present.  
Hades stood up and watched as I tried to control my breathing. I finally decided to speak up. After all, my mind was made up anyway. I wasn’t going to lose hope.  
“What sort of torture is this? Child’s play?”  
“Aha! There’s that husky voice that I’ve missed!” Hades walked behind me out of my view. I could hear a switch being activated and the sound of the chain that had once been slack tightening its hold on me again, “Since you seem to be enjoying the silence so much, I’m going to give you exactly that. I’m going to leave you here, sitting in the dark with that collar on your neck while for the next day or so. I want you to think about my offers. And if when I return, you will tell me what that option is. Think about losing that hope in your eyes. Will you lose that hope for me? Or will I have to continue to beat it out of you? It’s your choice.”  
I groaned slightly as my already sore muscles were jimmied back into the open position that they had been this whole time. I felt every taught muscle stretch, strain and feel like they were going to break.  
“And well, since you won’t be able to enjoy my charming company, this collar is particularly good for playing tricks with the human mind.”  
“How does it do that?” I was done with him. I wanted Hades out of my sight.  
“You see, the collar itself is...well...pretty harmless. But the cruelty lies is almost entirely within its side effects. You will be unable to lie down, not that you could anyway with the chains keeping you up, or lean back, or even lower your head without pain.” The chain was finally completely tight again and I let out a small groan as the pain settled into my bones, “It will prevent you from eating or sleeping. If you fall asleep, your neck will get pierced and you will slowly bleed to death.”  
Hades grabbed my hair and jerked my head back. They pierced my neck and the pain that accompanied it was a lot to handle. I felt my blood trickle down the back of my neck as the spikes in the hoop penetrated flesh.  
“You see I’ve never tried this before. I must admit, I’m very excited to see the aftermath. However all this can go away if your petty defiance goes away and the hope....goes away. I can take this collar right off of you and let you go free right now. Otherwise, this torture, this....pain will never go away.”  
Hades knelt right behind me and whispered...  
“And I will never go away.”  
He then stood up and walked away from me. I heard the sound of the door opening and the sound of him walking through it. It sounded like Hades was giving orders to someone on the other side of it. But I couldn’t see as my back was facing away from it.  
“But it can wait. You only have to make a decision. So....what option would it be then?”  
I returned to silence once again and just did my best to steer clear of the collar. I was startled when I heard a small huff from Hades before he started walking away.  
“I’ll leave you to it to think then. Have fun, Captain! Perhaps you’ll have an answer for me upon my return.”  
The door shut, leaving me with my thoughts, my mindless thoughts. I was going to have one heck of a night and I hoped that I would be able to stand strong through all of this. I let out a breath I had not realized up until this point that I had been holding. The breaths were shaky and fear filled. I tried to think of anything other than the threats that Hades had spoken. For I may not look like it on the outside, but the inside, I was terrified.   
After a few hours of trying to keep myself from hitting the prongs of the hoop, I gave up and fell into a fitful sleep. I knew that I might not sleep well, but I needed it.  
I just hoped that the damage the collar would cause would be minuscule compared to what I would experience next.


End file.
